Success is a subjective word, different people will think it differently, as for me, success is merely a state of mind that I have done something that I can be proud of and my family and friends can be proud to be associated with me. To be a responsible and reliable person that people can trust and benefit. I was in the inner cirle of the rich and famous in South Thailand with hoteliers and seafood corporation circle. Those were my happy days of entertainment and luxurious, exquisite dinners almost every night. Life was easy and money was easy to make as we run huge international trades among our friends all over Asia trading in seafood and other commodities.
Today, when I thought it over, it wasn’t easy to be in the inner circle of rich people. I was just lucky to be in, it has alot to do with family name, it was my brother’s name that enabled me to be in. You can’t just work your way in. I learn from those years, reputation is such a crucial asset, it was reputation that made me successful. It was reputation that people trust you with their millions of dollars of investment to you to run a business. Once you tarnish that reputation, you are a dead block of wood. And I learn the hard truth that such friends are not true friends but business friends who benefits from you, you scratch my back and I scratch yours. I wouldn’t say all but I would say most. I have seen a lot, when someone’s reputation is tarnished, suddenly all your so call friends are missing in time of such distress and you will know who are your true friends.
Business is a like a WARFARE and the weapon is money and secret pacts here and there to fight and stay afloat in the market. It’s a dirty game sometimes and everyday you have to find something up your sleeves to counter-attack your competitors. Well, those war time for me is over, I want to take a break from all this battle field and stay on the side line and watch.
If you want to do a conventional business, think first, if you are not up to fighting and competiting then better stay out of it or you will be badly burned haha
Thru’ the years of my life, I did create a few companies that I can be proud of.
Lee Agency (Import & Export) – At one time, it was the biggest forwarding agency at the border between Thailand and Malaysia, it almost monopolized the fish trade between the 2 countries and that was the main cause of its crash in the later years. When you are too powerful, you tend to have more and more enemies. Today, it is still standing as the next generation of my brother has taken over the running of the business.
Konsortium Pengangkutan Thamas – The one and only Malaysian company that could ply from Thailand to Singapore without any customs duty or other service taxes. A very controversial company, it was really tough to get this special permit but we made it…
Southern Hauliers (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. – It was my baby project after I left Lee Agency and together with an old client of mine, he gave me the opportunity to build this company. Timing was the essence of its success, right after we build this small company, the Asia currency crashed, the USD gained was huge and we made millions from the difference in exchange and expanded the business further while there was no competition due to the high cost for new comers so we enjoyed those few years of huge profit margins, the cream of the crop as they say. Today, it is one of the biggest hauliers in S.Thailand. I sold of my shares and came back to Malaysia.
KMC Cold-storage & Warehousing Sdn Bhd – A few years jobless, met up with an old friend and started a new company doing global fish trade as to date, it is still running as we gradually shift over to the younger generation to take over the reign to climb even higher grounds.
30 over years of business and it’s about time, I slow down and find a much simpler business to run. 7uncle.com will be my retirement plan. A simple straight-forward business of Internet advertising.
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